In Part 2 of The Local Food Economy and Health I raised the point of your being left with less and less choice over what you eat, as one of the consequences of getting caught up in the artificiality of the modern marketing “machine”. 

Are You Disconnected From Your Food Source?
If you have been brought up in the city environment, it’s easy for you to consider everything around you as a normal and natural part of life.

It’s not until you are forced out of that environment for the first time, that the true realities of life hits home.

If your only exposure to eggs where by seeing them come in cartons of twelve, how would you associate these with the rear end of a chicken?

Do the rows of rows of pint and liter cartons of milk in the refrigerated section of the supermarket give you any clue that the contents have issued forth from the udders of cows?

When a child grows up with his hero-sponsored box of multicolored breakfast cereal, how does he make the connection with anything natural? Artificial and plastic is a more likely association, don’t you think?

After all, if you’ve had no experience with country living or farms, and have known little else but packaged and processed foods from the supermarket, how would you be expected to?

There are many surveys that have been done on this subject and the results are quite startling. The following example was conducted by the Linking Environment And Farming (L.E.A.F) organization. The study showed that of 1,073 adults surveyed, 22% “did not know bacon and sausages originate from farms.”  This story, “What Would Old MacDonald Say?” was reported by the BBC News (June ‘07).

Do you think this kind of “disconnect” from one of life’s most basic systems is healthy?

…. But there’s more here
than just the disconnection.

Consider this:

1. How could you then possibly make informed decisions about your food and your own health? 

2. How would this affect your ability to correctly choose your political representative and their support of various food-related policies suggested by the government?

Lacking that crucial, reality-based background, your main source of information would then come from what you are told through advertising and what’s written on the box or packaging. How much of that is clear. open, honest, helpful information?

In many cases, we are NOT given
complete information on product packaging
solely because of economic and political reasons.

Labeling requirements are a huge topic now in many countries as various lobby groups fight over what can and cannot be included on labels.

These issues range from the complex labeling of GMO foods through to the relatively simple labeling of ”Country of Origin”. 

These issues are voted for or against by parties, according to what each vested interest gains or loses by the suggested labeling change, not necessarily by what’s best for the consumer. 

Do You Feel Comfortable Not Knowing?

A recent survey conducted in a local mall in Wellington New Zealand found that of 100 shoppers quizzed, not one was able to correctly name the country of origin of these eight whole foods: - bacon (2 packs), sweet corn, capsicum, prawns, peanuts, porter house steak and dried peaches. None were labeled with Country of Origin.

Would you care to know if any common food in your kitchen was grown locally or was sourced from some unknown country overseas?

Ignorance is Bliss?

Many have openly stated that they prefer to hold to the old adage that “ignorance is bliss”.

This stance may help to delay the pain that is triggered by waking up to the evils of the world, ….. but at what cost?

The Cost of Ignorance. 

1. potential risk of irreparable harm to oneself and others.

2. It effectively removes your unique perspective and input towards any solution.  

Be informed.
Give ignorance a miss
and
VOTE with your DOLLAR$.

$Vote$$Vote$

Every dollar $pent, is a vote ca$t
for the product or $ervice that you purcha$e.

As a former store owner, I know, first hand, that the profitability of my store depended on providing what my customers wanted. If their buying habits changed and they stopped buying what I currently stocked, do you think that I did everything I could to stock what they now wanted? You bet !!

In Part 3 (below) of the following video, Building A Local Food Economy, Ken Meter acknowledges the ground swell of interest in supporting local food economies.

Especially uplifting, is Ken’s account of the sound progress being made. People are waking up at a grass roots level and things are happening. Check it out (only 5 min in length).

What You Can Do – Ken’s Action Steps:

1. Decide what you feel is right to eat and what is highest and best for your body.

2. Decide where you will now source that food?  Build relationships with local growers and organizations etc.

3. Decide who you will consistently support with your dollars?

4. Look for ways that you can help the system be stronger. eg. extra financial support, volunteering time, becoming active in the movement etc.

If you watched the above video, you heard Ken Meter mention the work of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farms and how they are getting very popular all over the country. I’ll be doing a post on this topic shortly as well. It’s exciting stuff !!

In Support of Sustainable, Wholesome Living.
Cheers, Sven